Valve construction

ABSTRACT

A valve construction for use as a pressure relief or check valve in fluid systems or apparatus.

ill

Perry ell al.

VALVE CONSTRUCTIIUN Inventors: Mair W. Perry, Hastings; Norman 1111.

Broclielsby, Grand Island, both of Nebr.

Duiton-Lainson Company June 22, 11970 Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.: 43,253

US. Cl ..ll37/525, 137/535 "F1611 115/11 1 Field 01' Search ..I37/512.5,525, 525.1, 525.3,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Pardee ..l37/535 X 3,454,1827/1969 Morton ..137/525.3 X

2,214,459 9/1940 Gottlieb... ..137/535 3,134,514 5/1964 Booth..137/525.3 X

3,179,122 4/1965 Wasdell ..137/525 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS823,377 12/1951 Germany ..137/512.5

627,605 6/1927 France 137/535 Primary Examiner-Robert G. NilsonAssistant Examiner-David J. Zobkiw Att0rney-Molinare, Allegretti,Newiltt 8L Witcoff [5 7] ABSTRACT A valve construction for use as apressure relief or check valve in fluid systems or apparatus.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 4 VALVE CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a valve construction which isespecially suitable for use as a pressure relief or check valve of thetype requiring the use ofa resilient member, such as a spring, formaintaining the valve element in seated or closed position.

Heretofore valves of this type had been produced as an assembly and areusually composed of three separate elements, and also are usually formedwith suitable features, such as threads or serrations, for cooperativeengagement with a wall, or member of a body of the article or device,with which the valve is to be used. Sometimes such valve assembliesnecessitate special machining operations to be performed on the memberon which they will be mounted, in order to permit their attachment tothe article. Such prior valves of this type are comparatively expensiveto manufacture, and some of them consume substantial time in mountingthem in an operative position on the article with which they are to beused.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel valve of thecharacter indicated, which is of simple, inexpen' sive, and efficientconstruction.

Another object is to provide a novel valve of the character indicated,which is composed of only two separate elements, which may be quicklyand easily attached to a member forming a wall of a chambered body orother structure in relation to a valve port or vent opening in saidmember.

A further object is to provide an improved valve of the characterindicated, which is composed of only two separate elements, each ofwhich is formed of resilient, synthetic plastic material, and which iscapable of use in connection with the handling of various fluids.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is an enlarged axial-sectionalview through the valve assembly embodying the present invention, shownin mounted relation to a valve port or vent opening in the wall of amember, forming a wall of a chambered body or similar structure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged axial-sectional view of the valve element.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the inner end of the valve element.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, planned view of a resilient strap member,constituting a part of the valve assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As may be seen in FIG. I of thedrawing, the valve assembly embodying the present invention as shownaffixed in operative relation to a valve port or vent opening 110, in amounting member 12. Said mounting member 12 may be a wall or otherportion of a chambered body or other structure. The valve assembly maybe utilized as a pressure relief valve and/or a check valve for variousfluid systems or apparatus. For example, it may be employed as apressure relief and check valve for a hub cap construction for a wheelof a boat trailer, as disclosed in a copending application for LettersPatent of Anthony W. Molinare, Ser. No. 48,205, filed June 22, 1970,owned by the assignee of the present application. The valve assembly iscomposed of only two separate parts, namely a unitary valve element 14and a yielding pressure member 116. The valve element, as shown in thedrawings, is molded of suitable, yieldable, resilient synthetic plasticmaterial, such as nylon, and includes a flattened cone-shaped valve head18, of generally circular and conical outline, with its under surfaceundercut so that the marginal edge of the valve head provides a thin,flexible marginal lip adapted to yieldingly contact the outer surface ofthe mounting member 12 in surrounding and sealing relation to the valveport or vent opening 10. The valve element has a cylindrical stemportion 22 connected at one end to the underside of the head 18, and theopposite end being formed'with radially extending abutment shoulders 24,herein shown as four, which are equally spaced apart circumferentiallyand the outer ends of which define a diameter slightly greater than thediameter of the opening W. The diameter of the stem 22 is smaller thanthe opening in the member 112 so as to insure that fluid under pressuremay pass freely through the opening 10 and beneath the valve head 18,and discharge beyond the lip portion of the valve head. The valveelement may be quickly and easily inserted into operative relation inthe opening 10 by forcing the abutment shoulders 24 through saidopening.

The yielding pressure member 16 is then interposed between the abutmentshoulders 24 at the inner end of the valve element, and the innersurface of the member 12. The pressure member lid is in the shape of anelongated strap and is formed of yieldable, resilient, synthetic plasticmaterial, such as nylon, and serves to function as a spring. Theopposite ends of the strap are formed with apertures 28 of a diameterslightly greater than the diameter of the stem 22 of the valve element.The resilient strap member is adapted to be folded upon itself toprovide a form similar to a hairpin, and it is placed in operativeposition by forcing; the strap in folded form so that its apertures 28yieldingly snap over the abutment shoulders 24 to assume the position onthe stem 22 as seen in FIG. ll of the drawing. The outer surfaces of theabutment shoulders are tapered downwardly toward the valve head tofacilitate force fitting of the apertures of the strap thereover andonto the valve stem. In this position one leg of the strap member abutsagainst the abutment shoulders 24, while the opposite leg abuts againstthe inner surface of the member 12. The inherent resiliency in the strap16 in such a bent form provides the desired pressure for yieldinglymaintaining the valve head 11% seated in sealing relation to the openinglltl.

The build up of a slight pressure within the chambered'body sufficientto overcome the pressure of the resilient strap 16 will result incausing the fluid in the body to flow through the apertures 28 of thestrap member, along the stem 22 of the valve element, and out throughthe opening 10 in the mounting member, and discharge beneath themarginal lip of the valve head 118. When the excess pressure within thechambered body is relieved, the yieldable strap will serve to urge thevalve element inwardly to closed position, with its marginal edgesseated against the outer surface of the mounting 12 in surrounding andsealing relation to the opening 10. The valve assembly also serves as acheck valve to preclude ingress of material or fluid from the exteriorthrough said opening ll) into the chambered body, of which said mountingmember 12 forms a part.

What is claimed is:

l. A two piece valve construction for operative association with andcontrolling an opening in a mounting member, comprising a unitary valveelement of resilient material having a valve head adapted to sealinglyengage the outer surface of said member in surrounding relation to saidopening, said valve element having a stem attached to the underside ofsaid valve head and extending freely through said opening, said openingbeing of larger cross-sectional area than said stem to permit fluidunder pressure to discharge along the stem and through the opening andpass beneath the valve head, said valve element having shoulder means onthe opposite end of the stem having a transverse dimension greater thanthe size of said opening and adapted to be forcibly projected throughsaid opening in spaced relation to the inner surface of the mountingmember and separate means reacting against said shoulder means and theinner surface of said member to yieldingly maintain the valve headseated in sealing engagement with the outer surface of said member insurrounding relation to said opening.

2. A valve construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said separatemeans comprises a strap member of resilient material adapted to be bentinto hairpin shape with each end apertured for force fitting over saidshoulder means onto the stem with one leg engaging said shoulder meansand the other leg engaging the inner surface of said member.

3. A valve construction as set forth in claim 2, wherein the aperturesin the strap member are larger in cross-section than the cross sectionof the stem to permit fluid under pressure to pass through the aperturesof the strap, along the stem and through said opening in the member anddischarge beneath the valve head.

4. A valve construction as set forth in claim 3, wherein said strapmember is fonned of synthetic plastic material.

5. A valve construction as set forth in claim 4, wherein said ble,marginal lip.

1. A two piece valve construction for operative association with andcontrolling an opening in a mounting member, comprising a unitary valveelement of resilient material having a valve head adapted to sealinglyengage the outer surface of said member in surrounding relation to saidopening, said valve element having a stem attached to the underside ofsaid valve head and extending freely through said opening, said openingbeing of larger crosssectional areA than said stem to permit fluid underpressure to discharge along the stem and through the opening and passbeneath the valve head, said valve element having shoulder means on theopposite end of the stem having a transverse dimension greater than thesize of said opening and adapted to be forcibly projected through saidopening in spaced relation to the inner surface of the mounting memberand separate means reacting against said shoulder means and the innersurface of said member to yieldingly maintain the valve head seated insealing engagement with the outer surface of said member in surroundingrelation to said opening.
 2. A valve construction as set forth in claim1, wherein said separate means comprises a strap member of resilientmaterial adapted to be bent into hairpin shape with each end aperturedfor force fitting over said shoulder means onto the stem with one legengaging said shoulder means and the other leg engaging the innersurface of said member.
 3. A valve construction as set forth in claim 2,wherein the apertures in the strap member are larger in cross-sectionthan the cross section of the stem to permit fluid under pressure topass through the apertures of the strap, along the stem and through saidopening in the member and discharge beneath the valve head.
 4. A valveconstruction as set forth in claim 3, wherein said strap member isformed of synthetic plastic material.
 5. A valve construction as setforth in claim 4, wherein said shoulder means comprises a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced apart abutments, the outer surfaces of eachabutment being tapered outwardly toward the valve head to permit forcingthe abutments through said opening and to facilitate force fitting ofthe strap member thereover onto said stem.
 6. A valve construction asset forth in claim 1, wherein said unitary valve element is formed ofsynthetic plastic material and said valve head is undercut to form arelatively thin, flexible, marginal lip.